Meine Kinder : My Children
by Clap-For-Carolyn
Summary: Dark clothes and dead eyes- The confontation with the Gate Keepers has begun, and not all is as simple as we would like... Post Manga ending, ansgt, eventual 009X003. Oh my, is this an update? Chapter Ten : The Battle
1. Prologue and The Visitor

**-Prologue-**

_It's been two years since that day, yet I still find myself waiting. Waiting for the two of them to walk back through that door. Waiting for him to walk back in to my life._

_But I know that can't happen. They both died that day to save us, and the world._

_I don't know if I can move on anymore… but that doesn't mean that everyone else hasn't. We've disbanded, this time, I think, for good. Almost everyone's gone back to their home countries. Albert decided that because his body worked against him back in Germany, he'd rather stay here. And baby Ivan has nowhere else to go… _

_It's hard to imagine I'd get lonely, with all these friends around, and yet somehow I am. I don't see much of anyone else anymore. I know they're off trying to live normal lives again. That's impossible, but they have the right to try and be happy._

_It just feels like a part of me has been ripped out and taken away forever…_

_There's nothing I can do about it._

**-Meine Kinder-**

**-My Children-**

_(English) _

_All of my children _

_Who have lost their way _

_Caught in the darkness _

_Of this tainted night _

_(German)_

_Alle meine Kinder_

_Wer ihre Weise verloren haben _

_Verfangen in der Schwärzung_

_Von dieser verdorbenen Nacht_

**-The Visitor-**

-----------------------------------------

**Knock. Knock. Knock.**

"Coming!" Françoise called, dislodging a very comfortable cat from her lap and reluctantly left the blazing hearth. _'Who would be coming all the way out here in the middle of winter?'_

When she opened the door, she found herself looking in to the amethyst eyes of a shivering teenage girl. Françoise, taken aback, hesitated for a moment before the girl spoke.

"C-can I c-come in?" She asked, holding the cloth of the hoddie she wore tighter around her.

"Oh, of course! You must be freezing!"

"D-danke…" she murmured as she stepped within the house.

Françoise did a double take on the girl. By all rights, she was a human, inside and out. And yet there was something unusual about her…

"How can you walk around in the middle of winter in just a sweater and a skirt?"

"I kinda got lost…" the girl admitted sheepishly as Françoise lead her to the fire, where the cat had taken the prime seat. She sat down in a free chair and sighed.

"Lost?" She frowned. Kozumi's house wasn't completely in the wilderness, but it wasn't downtown Tokyo either.

The girl nodded. "This place was harder to find than I thought it would be." She grinned.

"Oh! I haven't introduced myself yet! My name is Mitani Engel Tahama, but you can just call me 0018."

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**Revised Edition – March 29, 2009. Please see chapter ten, "The Battle", for latest author notes! **

**Side note: The first few chapters are painfully short, but they get longer as you go on. It just wasn't worth it to try to combine chapters and I didn't want to lose reviews. D8**


	2. The Offer

**-Meine Kinder-**

**-My Children-**

_(English)_

_Forever wandering_

_Across the gaping abyss _

_Walk back toward the light_

_Join me in this sorrowful day_

_(German)_

_Für immer wandering_

_Über dem den Mund aufsperrenden Abgrund_

_In Richtung zum Licht zurück gehen_

_Mich an diesem traurigen Tag verbinden_

**-The Offer-**

**---------------------------------------**

"My name is Mitani Engel Tahama, but you can just call me 0018."

"Zero-Zero…eighteen! But your-"

"Oh yeah! Sorry, I haven't turned off the thingie yet…" She fumbled around on her belt until she found the switch she was looking for.

It seemed like a curtain was lifting as Françoise was able to finally see that this girl was very much NOT human. Circuitry meshing with flesh…

'_Another cyborg…a __child__ cyborg…!' _

"Alright then, 0018, what are you doing here and what do you want with us? And why couldn't I tell you where a cyborg?" She threw questions at the girl.

"Oh, that was the new cloaking technology that we developed. I'm surprised it worked so well, considering your abilities." She sighed, then continued; "And I'm not here to kill you or any of your friends, or to take any of you back to Black Ghost, or whatever the hell they call themselves now. I have an offer to make."

"An offer?"

"You remember two years ago, after the destruction of the masterminds behind Black Ghost, when the 'shooting star' blazed 'cross the sky?"

Françoise looked away. "I remember. Two of my friends died that day." She said softly.

"Actually, they didn't." 0018 nodded.

She looked back up at 0018. "What…?"

"They didn't die."

"You're lying!" She hissed. "I watched them fall!"

"So did I, and so did the powerful espier with me. She tried to slow their decent, to teleport them back to earth, to do _something _to save them. 0051 managed to get them back, but at a distance away. But when we got to the location, they were already gone, carried off by some leftovers from Black Ghost."

"…" Was the only reply Françoise could offer.

"I know it might be hard to, but you have to believe me. We know where they are being kept-"

"…_We? _How many more cyborgs are there?!"

"Well, I'm pretty sure that they stopped Zero-Zero production after 100, but some have been destroyed, and many have yet to be activated." 0018 paused thoughtfully for a moment. "Other than you first generation, I think we have 16 including me. Or wait, was it 17? Ahh… I can't remember…"

0018 scratched the back of her head, while Françoise just sat there silently, dazed and confused.

"But…if what your telling me is true, then…"

"Why did we wait two years? We thought they were dead too. When we got in to the Black Ghost data base to dig up information on where they were taken… It said that the rebels had been executed and their bodies' appropriately disposed of. We couldn't find anything other than that. Then recently, when we attacked one of the new bases, we got the pounding of a lifetime from their new 'Gate Keeper' cyborgs. 0051 swears it was the same ones, just modified."

"How do you know for sure it was them?" She shot at 0018.

"How many Japanese have red eyes? How many cyborgs still fly with limb-mounted jets? And how many can match the description as two members of the Original Nine, the legendary rebels?" She answered, a question for a question. 0018 looked at her watch.

"Listen, I have to leave soon or I'll miss my ride. Last time, those who fought them barely got back alive. We've been too afraid to try again, lest we lose someone the second time around. Our group is just too small to fight against more highly advanced advisories and squadrons of defense robots at the same time. If you want to get your friends back, and in mostly one piece, we are going to need your help." She nodded and added;

"ALL of your help."

When Françoise didn't answer, 0018 sighed again.

"Well, if you can gather the rest of your team, you can reach me with this." She pulled out a small silver communicator and set it down on the table.

"Thank you for hospitality." She stood and with a small bow, headed toward the door.

"Wait…"

0018 stopped.

"What if… we don't help you…for whatever reason?"

"Then like I said, I can't guarantee they'll come back in one piece. I have some friends undercover in that complex, and I am not going to abandon them."

And with that, she was gone, leaving Françoise alone with her thoughts.

'_Alive…both…alive…'_

-------------------------


	3. The News

**-Meine Kinder-**

**-My Children-**

_(English)_

_Under the waning moon_

_And dimming stars_

_Waiting for the warmth to return_

_And for the dead to rise again_

_(German) _

_Unter dem abnehmenden Mond _

_Und Sterne verdunkelnd_

_Aufwartung, daß die Wärme zurückgeht_

_Und für die Toten, zum wieder zu steigen_

**-The News-**

**----------------------------------------------------------**

A sparrow chirped in the early morning light, flitting from branch to branch. As it flew in to an oddly quite meadow, when it's flight was ended abruptly.

Holding the struggling bird in his hand, he looked at it for a moment, then…

Movement. Behind.

Without a second thought the bird was crushed, it's small life extinguished in a second.

"Now, why did you do that?" She mock pouted from her perch in the tree behind him. Barely making a sound, she jumped down to join him. "What did that poor little birdie ever do to you?"

He glanced at the blood on his hand as it dripped to the grass below.

"I… I don't know."

She grinned, a smile that few saw and lived to tell about, and laughed.

"Well then, Gatekeeper, I suggest we head back."

Turning dead eyes away from the field, he followed her.

-------------------

The door opened for the second time that evening, but a very different (and grocery laden) cyborg walked in.

"Mrrraow!"

"Ack! Addle Wice!" Albert nearly tripped over the cat that had come to greet him. "You just want me to drop the milk, don't you?"

He walked in to the kitchen and set the bags down on the counter.

"Mrrraow! Mrrraow!" The persistent cat meowed.

"Alright, alright! You can have some." Albert chuckled as he poured a saucer of milk and set next to Addle Wice on the floor. The cat purred loudly as he scratched behind its ears while it lapped up its treat.

'Hmm…? It seems awfully quite around here…'

He walked in to the living room and saw Françoise sitting in front of the dying fire, her head bowed.

"Fran…?"

She looked up with a tear-streaked face, and he rushed over to her.

"Fran? Françoise? What's wrong?!"

She sniffled and with the back of her hand she wiped away more tears.

"S-she… she said…"

"Who? What happened? What's wrong?" Albert gently placed his hands on her shoulders. He was worried; Fran hadn't been this upset in a long time.

_(It might be best to leave her alone for the time being 004.)_

_("Ivan, what's going on?")_

Ivan mentally sighed from his crib in the other room.

_(As far as I can tell, a strange cyborg stopped by earlier. She bore some pretty shocking news.)_

Albert frowned. _("What kind of news?")_

_(It looks like some friends aren't as gone as we thought they were.) _

Ivan transmitted an image through telepathy to him.

"Oh my God."

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**Side note: I'm using the MANGA ending, but pulling a lot from the 2001 ANIME. And the manga too, for that matter. Just FYI.**

**Addel Wice, pronounced "A-dell Vice", is German for "Little White". And yes, that means it's his cat. XD**


	4. The Decision

**-Meine Kinder-**

**-My Children-**

_(English)_

_Come back to me…_

_My children…_

_(German)_

_Zurückgekommen zu mir…_

_Meine Kinder…_

-The Decision-

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"Where the hell is she!" a brown eyed, brown haired teen muttered. "She was supposed to be here an hour ago!"

"She'll be here soon." Replied the small girl sitting next to her, amusing herself with a small wooden carving of an elephant.

"You already told me that. _An hour ago._"

"Then she'll be here even sooner!"

The elder rolled her eyes and gave in to the child's logic. So they sat and waited on the bench in Tokyo Park.

That is, they sat there until Mitani came running and stumbling up.

"Hi guys-"

"What in the seven hells where you doing?!"

"I kinda got lost…" she answered sheepishly, then hid behind the bench at the other girls death glare.

"Ack! Don't kill me, Nila!"

"It's still not that isolated or that hard to find!"

"I'm DIRECTIONALLY CHALLENGED."

"Me and Mimi have been waiting here for _an hour!"_

Mimi then bounced in between the fighting girls. "Can we go back now?"

The two of them stopped their quarrel and looked at her. Nila sighed.

"Alright, let's just get back…"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You're kidding me…"

_(I'm afraid not. But our first priority should be informing the professor and the others.) _

"Yeah, I guess you're right. This is unbelievable…" Albert sighed and shook his head. It was insane, but if it was true…

He turned to walk away to make the numerous long distance phone calls.

"We have to get them back… we have to try, and I don't care if I'm the only one…"

"Fran, trust me, you won't be."

------------------


	5. The Conversation

**-Meine Kinder-**

**-My Children-**

"_Engel –Angel"_

_By Rammstein_

_(In English)_

_Who in their lifetime is good on Earth  
will become an angel after death  
you look to the sky and ask  
why can't you see them?_

_Only once the clouds have gone to sleep  
can you see us in the sky  
we are afraid and alone_

_God knows I don't want to be an angel_

_They live behind the sunshine  
separated from us, infinitely far  
they must cling to the stars (very tightly)  
so they don't fall from the sky_

_Only once the clouds have gone to sleep  
can you see us in the sky  
we are afraid and alone_

_God knows I don't want to be an angel_

_Only once the clouds have gone to sleep  
can you see us in the sky  
we are afraid and alone_

_God knows I don't want to be an angel_

**-The Conversation-**

**----------------------------------------------------------**

The heavy steel doors hissed and slid open, and She with Ice Blue eyes entered the darkened room.

"Found 'em wandering around in the forest. Are you sure your little program is strong enough?" She asked, her threat veiled.

"Y-yes, I'm p-positive it is strong enough to s-suppress their personalities." The scientist stuttered and refused to meet her cold gaze.

"Good. We wouldn't want them going off on their own from now on, would we?"

The scientist nodded.

"Doctor-" A woman in a long white lab coat walked in with a handful of printouts. She stopped in her tracks when she saw the other girl.

"049. And what did you want?"

"One of Dr. Kalvin's subjects wandered off this morning, and I had to waste my valuable time bringing him back."

The woman rolled her eyes. "Of course, because your just _so_ busy."

049 glared then turned and left the room.

"How can you be so calm around her!" Dr. Kalvin asked. "Shurii, that girl is psychotic!"

"Yes, yes she is. But she won't lay a finger on me as long as I am important to this project."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Beep Beep Beep**

Nila looked up from her magazine.

**Beep Beep Beep**

"What is making that sound?" Nila wondered aloud.

**Beep Beep Beep**

A flaxen haired boy lifted the couch. "Not here."

"No shit Sherlock."

**Beep Beep Beep**

"It's on the kitchen counter." Said a younger girl with brown eyes that matched Nila's.

"I swear, you people are just SO helpful…" Nila muttered and walked in to the kitchen. She picked the small silver communicator off the counter and looked at the screen, which displayed double zeros.

"Mitani! It's for you!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Beep Beep Beep**

"It's not working…"

"I still think you people have too much faith in your fancy gizmos." 007 commented.

_(You do realize that it's far less complicated than any one of your basic systems?) _

**Beep Beep Beep**

**-…will you two shut up? Honestly! Oh, crap! Is this thing on?-**

The reassembled team stared at the device in 003's palm.

"I guess this means it does work?"

**-I can hear you! YAY! It works, it works!-** the voice at the other end continued in a sing song voice, while the rest of the cyborgs where still trying to decide what to make of it.

"Uh, hello?" 008 ventured.

**-It works- Oh, sorry! Sometimes these things can be junk. Hi! I'm Mitani!-** the girls voice was cheerful and excited. Too bad she was the only one at the moment who felt that way.

**-I have to say, you guys got together pretty quick. How many of you are there?-**

"Seven, and Professor Gilmore will be coming too."

**-Cool! That mean we have, uh… 24ish in all?-**

Everyone in the room looked at each other.

"That girl needs to switch to decaf…" 004 muttered.

**-Umm… so, can I talk to you guys in person? It's a lot safer than this.-**

"Then where should we meet you?"

**-X Island.-**

Silence, then a unanimous roar.

"WHAT?!"

**-X. Island.-**

"That's one of the last places I'd thought I'd ever go again…" 006 groaned.

**-Alright then, I need to go. See ya latter!-**

The communicator went dead.

"Well _that's_ the strangest conversation I've ever had…"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"THEY'RE COMING!" the whirlwind formally known as Mitani burst into the living room.

"Ah wha?" Nila looked up from her magazine yet again.

"They're coming, they're coming, they're coming-"

"Who, what, when, where, why and how?" A black and purple haired boy with orange glasses stuck his head out of an adjacent room. "Who's coming?"

"Are you thick Shikoun?" She poked his forehead. "The first are coming!"

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	6. The Meeting

**-Meine Kinder-**

**-My Children-**

**-The Meeting-**

**----------------------------------------------------------**

"The First are coming! That means we can go back and get Chico!"

"Go BACK?! Are you insane?! Oh wait, that's a stupid question…" Nila trailed off, palm to forehead.

"We need to get Jen and Cy back, you know that. And if we have to beat the crap out of those Gatekeepers to get there, we might as well bring them back too."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Are we there yet?" 007 asked, trying to lift the heavy mood.

"No."

Silence. Yeeep, this was going to be a long and boring ride…

"Hold on… didn't the X Island base blow up?" 006 exclaimed suddenly.

"That's right, I distinctly remember going out with a bang."

"Yeah…"

"It is possible that the base was rebuilt." Dr. Gilmore commented.

"They rebuilt an entire island?" 004 shook his head. "I find that a bit hard to believe."

_(You shouldn't under estimate them. If they are more advanced cyborgs, then a feat like that is far from impossible. They're probably based off of all of you, after all.)_

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Well this is just great…"

They had made it to the half exposed rubble of X Island. And it was still rubble.

"Nothing's been living here except for seaweed and barnacles-"

"Squeak!" a loud, high pitched squeal interrupted 008's sentence.

"Squeak! Squeak!" it was a dolphin, doing acrobatic leaps and dives just off shore of the rocks as it emitted an array of squeals and clicks.

"A dolphin!" 003 hopped over the rocks to the water's edge. The sea mammal swam over to her and clicked happily when she petted its head. "Aww, it likes me!"

"Wow, I thought they were usually only this friendly in captivity." 008 had joined 003 at the water's edge. "Where's the rest of them? They usually travel in pods."

"Squeak!" The dolphin swam out to sea for a bit, and then came back to the rocks. It repeated the action and clicked.

"I have no idea what it's doing."

_(Here, let me try.) _001 floated over to the ocean dwelling creature. _(X Island has been moved one mile east of here. That's what he, er, Darwin was trying to tell us.) _

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Now THAT is a base."

"Squeak!" Darwin obviously agreed with 007.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!" a teenage boy ran past them, screaming.

"What the-"

And about thirty metal sporks flew by, as they chased the boy. They stood there for a moment, unsure what to do, watching as the boy ran back and forth.

"Aiya…" The sporks stopped midair and dropped to the ground.

_(An esper!) _

A dark skinned girl walked out of the base. Her long black hair was pulled back in to a braid, and there was a small red dot in the center of her forehead.

"017, do you think you could refrain from attracting the silverware?"

The boy, now known as 017, stopped screaming then took one look at the other cyborgs and started again.

"We're under ATAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!"

"No, we're not, so shut it."

"ATAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!" She sighed, shook her head, and turned.

"Can't you see we have guests? Welcome, and please ignore the screaming idiot."

"Um, right. Hello, I guess." 004 replied.

And then, like rabid weasels emerging from their dens, the children appeared.

"Squee!"

"They're here!"

"Darwin found them, I TOLD you he would!"

The small mob of kids, ranging in age from 5th graders to graduates, came bounceing and yelling out of the complex.

And it was Mitani who hopped up to the other cyborgs.

"HiHiHi! Welcome to X Island 2.0!"

"2.0?! Are you kidding me?!"

"Nope. We had a sign, but it kept getting attracted by 017's magnetic field."


	7. The Introductions

**-Meine Kinder-**

**-My Children-**

**-The Introductions-**

**----------------------------------------------------------**

Nila, now better known as 015, created a ball of fire in her hand and fanned out her osprey wings to shield the flame from the wind.

"She creates the fire with oil stored in special compartments that draw it up to the pores and release it. Make a little spark and, BAM!, instant fireball. And even though it may seem a bit unconventional, 015 can fly at very high speeds with those birdy wings."

"Fascinating!!"

Shikoun (066) was explaining each of the children's power to an excited Dr. Gilmore.

"016's body is that of a cat, originally developed for spy purposes. He can accelerate and create an almost indestructible barrier."

Standing only 1½ feet tall and 2 feet nose to tail, 016 boinged about in his giant pink ball.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" The sporks where once again on a rampage.

"As you can see, 017 controls magnetic fields. Unfortunately they haven't really stabilized…"

A grinning Mitani unsheathed two kantanas with black stained blades and red wrapped hilts. Wielding them expertly, she sliced through a rock like butter, leaving it in four pieces.

"018 is a master of weapons and fighting styles. If it's been made, she can use it."

Zap. Zap. "Ow!!" 019 whistled innocently while 051 glared at him.

"019 uses electricity, and can change the electrical charge of the air around him. He's got a serious problem with static cling."

"Mrow?" A cat sat on the ground next to them, tail swishing back and forth. It glowed, then took the form of a young girl with cat ears and tail. "G'Day mates!"

"021's power is transformation, and her favorite forms are a Mau cat and a Saint Bernard."

She turned in to a giant brown and white dog and thundered off, only to be replaced by a large gold wolf moments later.

"022 has a similar ability, but can only turn into a wolf, and her accelerator is very advanced…" 022 stalked off boredly when their attention turned to 051. "I guess you already know what she does." 066 said as she stopped a few rouge stones that came whizzing by.

"Sorry!!" a girl with semi-long black hair, large angel wings, and a variety of cosplay gear apologized.

"That's 031. She controls earth-based magnetic fields, but her power is limited at the moment, and she can fly too… lets see… who's left… 023 can turn any part of his body in to a weapon via nanotechnology… 069 can control air currents… 055 is a freekin' tank… oh, and 072 is like me with the geek computer stuffs… 064 can freely control water molecules in the atmosphere…" He paused when Mimi came bouncing along in a yellow dress and trademark pigtails.

"We're not exactly sure what she does, or what she was even made for… but her numbers 37." 066 looked around. "I guess that's everyone."

A nice long moment of silence.

"… There's A LOT of you."

"Really? They only represent a small portion."

"……"

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	8. The Plan

**-Meine Kinder-**

**-My Children-**

**-The Plan-**

**----------------------------------------------------------**

Never, never, NEVER let Mitani draw a map. Why? Because it's worthless unless you see it being draw and she's explaining the entire thing _slowly_, and in a language you understand. The only person who could look at a trademark 'Mitani Map' after the fact and still understand it was currently on the dark side. So 051 drew the diagram of the base.

"This is the main building here." She pointed to a complex of boxes on the paper. "I have no idea what the inside floor plan is like, but they'll be coming out to greet us."

"They've got one hell of a welcoming party."

"It's set in this small alcove of rocks, which surrounds and their for protects it." She traced her finger along a jagged line that crawled around the base. "There's a decently sized clearing in front of it. The land evens out to become forest, which surrounds the back. It's so thick it's near impossible to fight in."

016 hopped up on to the table. "Isn't that where we tried to get in last time?" His ears swiveled to lay flat on his head. "I don't want to go back!"

"Then don't." 015 scooped him up. "Stay on the ship, all right?"

"So this would be the next logical place to try to infiltrate, if we came in from the rocks here." 008 noted. "Though it sounds like it's a bit more open than I would like."

007 sighed. "Impenetrable forest on one side, barren land on the other, what a choice!"

"The advantage is that we _want_ to be seen." 018 had entered the room silently, and she was dressed in a vastly different outfit.

It was the red and gold uniform, drastically modified. The top was sleeveless, but there where black straps on her upper arms and she wore red gloves. Instead of pants she had a red pleated skirt with shorts underneath, black boots and a yellow double scarf.

"Mitani… Why in the world are you wearing that?!"

She grinned. "It's a secret! You'll figure it out latter, I know you. But what we want is for them to notice us. Attacking directly and making ourselves a threat is the only was to draw out the Gatekeepers."

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Whip. Thunk. Whip. Thunk.

049 pulled the dagger out of the wall and tossed it again. It's serrated edges sliced through the reinforced steel up to the hilt.

"Things are so _boring_ around here..." She muttered to herself. "I almost wish those annoying kids would come back…"

"So, 49, you wish for the traitors to return?" She jumped at the voice, which laughed. A tall man dressed in black materialized behind her, smirking. His long hair and eyes where the perfect representation of his soul, dark, cold, and corrupt. "I thought you told me you wanted to kill every last one of them."

"I DO! But I can't very well do that, 014, if they don't come back here and you won't let me go to them!!" 049 glowered angrily. "Nothing remotely interesting happens around here."

"Patience, patience. The fools will be back to try to sway you to their side, it is then you can enact your vengeance."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Okay guys, bring it up!"

In a torrent of sea water, a stream line silver ship rose from the depths. It was smaller than the Dolphin, but still big enough to be a formidable battle machine, and shiny enough to be near blinding.

"Ta-da! This is the Icarus, formally known as the Shadow Reaper. It looks soo much better in silver paint, the black and green cameo was so blah." 015 put her hands on her hips. "But I personally think its waaaay to shiny."

"I'll say."

"The paint helps to keep it from being clearly identified. The last thing we need is to be on the six o'clock news as the latest UFO. We ready to go?" 018 asked, strapping an additional blade on to her back. The entirety of the kids nodded in agreement.

"So, we're off then?"

She turned to their new allies, the rebels of old, and smiled.

"Lets go kick some ass!"

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	9. The Encounter

**-Meine Kinder-**

**-Chapter Nine-**

'_Shadoplay' by The Killers_

_To the center of the city where all roads meet, waiting for you  
To the depths of the ocean where all hopes sank, searching for you  
Moving through the silence without motion, waiting for you  
In a room with a window in the corner I found truth_

_In the shadowplay acting out your own death, knowing no more  
As the assassins all grouped in four lines, dancing on the floor  
And with cold steel, odor on their bodies made a move to connect  
I could only stare in disbelief as the crowds all left_

_I did everything, everything I wanted to  
I let them use you for their own ends  
To the center of the city in the night, waiting for you  
To the center of the city in the night, waiting for you_

**-The Encounter-**

* * *

"Sir, two unidentified ships have entered our air space."

"Ships?"

"Yessir. They seem to be multi-terrain vehicles, but their not any of ours."

The commander shoved the soldier aside to look at the screen. Two gold flashing dots where rapidly closing in on the bases location.

"Inform 014 that-"

"I already know." All the people in the control room jumped at his voice. In the doorway stood 014 and 049, and on either side of them stood the Gatekeepers, all of them dressed in matching suits of black. Aside from that they looked no different than the day they fell. But their eyes where pupil-less, solid ovals of darkened ruby and amber.

"Let them approach."

"But sir-"

"I said let them approach." He growled. "I want to test out the new toys."

"Why are there two?" 049 tapped the screen. "I thought they only had one ship."

"They don't. Commander, check the class of each of those vehicles."

"The smaller is a standard Shadow Reaper class and the other is… A Black Phantom?! I thought they stopped making those years ago!"

014 laughed. "Oh, they did stop the production of the Black Phantoms after two where stolen. One by Gamo's espers, the other by the prototypes."

"Sir, their landing."

"Let them. I want to see them ripped apart by the ones they came to save."

* * *

"We'll be landing here."

"Alright. Just don't totally destroy the surrounding area this time.

"It's not my fault the missile button looks like the landing gear button!" 055 sulked.

"It's on the opposite side of the control panel."

055 muttered to himself as he guided the Icarus to the ground, and hit the correct button to engage the landing gear. The Dolphin set down next to them moments latter and both groups of cyborgs disembarked.

"015, 031, we need your eyes in the sky. 016, scout ahead, but don't accelerate or they'll hear you coming a mile away."

015 and 031 took flight, and 016 scampered off in to the undergrowth only to come running back out. "Which way was it again?"

018 pointed one direction and 055 another.

"That way!"

"No, this way!"

"Your both wrong." 051 gestured in a completely different direction. "It's that way."

"Oh. Right. That way it is!"

"…Is it really a good idea to let them lead us?"

"Well at the moment, it's all we got."

* * *

016 raced along the ground at breakneck speed, traveling in the direction 051 had determined. His sharp metal claws left long ruts in the soft earth, and they tore through low lying vegetation.

It didn't take him very long to skid across a rocky surface and then scramble back in to the underbrush before he was spotted.

[Found it!]

* * *

[We have confirmation of 016's report.] 016 messaged back to the rest of them. [Looks like it's still functioning and heavily guarded.]

[Weeeeeee!] And 031 was having some fun doing random acrobatic maneuvers. [Flying is awesome! You guys should try it!]

[We'll be there shortly! How's it look from up there?]

[It's pretty quiet. There's not much going on.]

[Then shall we?]

[Lets dance.]

* * *

"Sir, they have landed."

"Have the assault robots at the ready. Let's give them a warm welcome." 014 smiled sadistically. "And 049 shall great our guests when they arrive."

"Finally!" 049 drove her dagger in to the chest of the soldier standing near in annoyance. "It took them long enough!" She pulled the dagger out, and the man fell to the floor. Dead.

"…I thought we agreed you wouldn't do that anymore."

"Oh, who cares! He was a low rank anyway." She nudged the body with her foot.

014 sighed. "Yes, but he was devoted and loyal. We seem to have a shortage of that as of late."

"Just brainwash another five or so." She said as she wiped the bloody blade on the dead mans uniform. "I have some pests to exterminate."

* * *

"Oh crap…"

When they had come across the base, there where already robot troops deployed and ready for action.

"We seem to have lost the element of surprise."

"…We had it to begin with?"

017 paled and attempted to run back in to the forest. "RETREAT!!!" he screamed, but 051 grabbed the back of his shirt.

"I don't think so. We're in this together. Now be good bait and go run out there!"

"But I don't wanna!"

"Sorry man, but you'll have to take one for the team." 066 slung a sniper rifle over his shoulder. "We'll provide some cover."

"Get out there or I'll set the sporks on you!"

017 grumbled and unwillingly hopped off the rocks in to the realm of the enemy.

Instantly hordes of robotic drones honed in on his position, moving forward to intercept. Many where humanoid while a few where formed in the shape of canine/feline animals. Some leapt at 017 but where pushed back by rapid laser and bullet fire.

Many of the children acknowledged this unspoken signal and seemingly vanished, only to reappear half a second latter among smoking debris.

_(Their accelerators are very advanced.)_

Another wave of assault robots poured out of the inconspicuous complex, and that's when a kind of coordinated chaos set in. 022 was already in her gold wolf form tangling with an animal one, trading fur and metal shavings. It wasn't too hard for 017 to screw with the electromagnetic shielding on some of the robots to give others the advantage to zap, shoot, or shred them in to nothing. The air became heavy with smoke and dust as drones exploded left and right.

Now, not everyone was involved in the fighting on the front lines. 003 was still in a semi-protected location with 037 (who was too young to really be of any help) and both psychic cyborgs. 005 and 031 also took higher positions on the steep hill; All the better to hurl rocks and the like down upon their foes.

_(There's… Something in there. Something evil.)_

"What?" she looked down at the child in her arms.

_(I don't know what it is. Or if it's even them. But… there's this oppressive darkness, threatening to swallow everything up.)_

"I know this darkness." 051 turned to stare at the complex. "The man who now heads what is left of Black Ghost is that overwhelming evil your feeling. I have been told he was a good man once, but I have never believed it. And not only has he twisted your friends, but many of our own…" her hands balled in to fists and her knuckles turned white. "014 haunts some of us even to this day and his presence is still felt years after the fact. He is the true enemy."

* * *

"Are you sure this is going to work?"

"Yes! Now I says quiet, or we all go to scrap yard!"

072 hissed at 064 who was nervously clinging to his scythe. They were standing a few yards away from the back door that 066 was hacking open.

"Okay, we should be good to go, soon as those Gatekeepers make their move."He removed the wires running from both his gateport and hand held computer to the doors controls. "We don't go in till they come out-"

Suddenly, silence. The sounds of fighting died away and tensions flew through the air.

"Now!"

The steel door slid easily open, the three ran in to the dimly lit building, and then the entrance sealed itself behind them.

* * *

"Greetings, rebels and former allies." His voice was poisoned honey and he flashed murderous intent with dark eyes framed by long black hair. 014 could be considered attractive in away, in the same way the devil sends those with angel's faces to do his bidding.

"It has been too long! I'm glad you survived so far, if only to be meeting your collective deaths momentarily." This comment was reply with a dozen or so heated glares and colorful words mumbled under breath in native tongues.

"And children, you have brought me another treat! I will be happy to claim responsibility for finally laying these troublesome prototypes to rest." He gave them all a small, crooked smile. "But I could not do so without the help of my newest friends. I presume most of you are accounted with Gatekeepers One and Two?"

The two of them where silent and completely still statues that stood in his shadow.

"But being a gracious host, I will give you one chance to repent, and one chance only. You will return to my side as out dear 049 has and live again. Or, you can choose to die. I encourage that you make a decision quickly-" 014 cut himself off as he jumped backwards, avoiding the large sharpened spike that was 023's arm slamming in to the ground where he once stood.

"Then I guess I have your answer."

* * *

A/N: 8D LIEK OMG TIS AN UPDATE. Chapter Nine had actually been written like a year ago. So I decided recently to type it up for a variety of reasons:

a.) It's Christmas time. And because I stayed up until four in the morning three nights in a row to watch ALL of C009 at once, I kinda associate it with the holidays. :heart:

b.) I went on a college trip and found a little anime/manga store that had all nine action figures for sale. 8D CAROLYN'S PARENTS LOVE HER SO MUCH THAT I'M GETTING THEM FOR CHRISTMAS. :flail/spaz/flail: I'll have pictures up in my profile after the 25 so you can see!

c.) I found the back cover of the notebook I wrote the rough drafts in kicking around in my room. I then proceeded to rip apart my already very messy room to find the rest of it. X3 I have no life.

d.) I missed talking to you guys. D8 I forgot how much I liked getting feedback and talking with fans! So, many thanks to all that have supported me! *hands out cookies*

e.) …Today is my real life 0019's birthday. He's turning 15, and I simply can't STAND him. XD He's my brother, so he always knows just how to piss me off. Kinda not really uploading because I was thinking of him. :shifty eyes:

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all my readers! I hope you enjoyed it!

P.S. Like, GO TO MEH PROFILE. Click on my DeviantART account and you can see some fanart for most of my OC's there. :shrugs: Just thought someone might be interested.

~Carolyn


	10. The Battle

**-Meine Kinder-**

**-My Children-**

"_Ich Will – I Want"_

_By Rammstein_

_(In English)_

_I want_

_I want you to trust me  
I want you to believe me  
I want to feel your eyes  
I want to control every heartbeat_

_I want to hear your voices  
I want to disturb the peace  
I want you to see me well  
I want you to understand me_

_I want your fantasy  
I want your energy  
I want to see your hands  
I want to go down in applause_

_Do you see me?  
Do you understand me?  
Do you feel me?  
Do you hear me?  
Can you hear me?  
____We hear you__  
Can you see me?  
____We see you__  
Can you feel me?  
____We feel you__  
I don't understand you_

_I want_

_We want you to trust us  
We want you to believe everything from us  
We want to see your hands  
We want to go down in applause - yeah_

_Can you hear me?  
____We hear you__  
Can you see me?  
____We see you__  
Can you feel me?  
____We feel you__  
I don't understand you_

_Can you hear us?  
____We hear you__  
Can you see us?  
____We see you__  
Can you feel us?  
____We feel you__  
We don't understand you_

_I want_

**-Chapter Ten-**

**-The Battle-**

---------

_Note: The rating for this will remain 'T' unless people really complain, but there is a violence/gore/language warning for chapters Ten and Eleven. Please proceed at your own risk. Thank you._

----------

It was, in his opinion, the best possible outcome he could have received from the present situation.

"Then I guess I have your answer." He gave the Gate Keepers a silent order and software activation to kill anything that moved, with a few acceptations for the choicer models. They didn't move, but simply disappeared. In the blink of an eye 023 was thrown backward and into 055, while the next closest cyborg, who happened to be 018, was flung in to the rock face.

"0018!"

Upon impact she had been knocked unconscious, and 018 a sizeable crater created by the sheer force at which she had hit the rock.

"No!" someone shouted, but it was too late. Cyborg children were being tossed about and cast aside like ragdolls.

"Damnit!" 004 turned to fire at where he estimated them to be, only to be slammed into the ground by the Gate Keeper with flaming red hair. Gate Keeper Two let out a low, guttural growl as he pinned him down.

Then out of nowhere and flying at a reckless speed, 015 came barreling out of the sky at Gate Keeper Two, effectively knocking him away. The two of them spontaneously burst in to flame as 015 engulfed them both in a fireball of her own creation. Too bad her victory was short lived.

There was a sickening crack when she hit the tree and one of her wings dangled limply.

"…Forgot you could fly." 015 gasped before she fell and crashed through the branches. The Gate Keeper was already gone, using boosters and accelerator in tandem to get back to the main area of fighting only a millisecond later.

Gate Keeper One was wreaking a path of destruction with his own blinding speed. It didn't even matter that the robots that got in his way where technically on his side; They fell to pieces at his feet.

"Now, do be careful." Commented a bemused 014, stopping the Gate Keeper from ripping 016's limbs off. "If you break them too badly, I won't be able to put them back together again."

The cat cyborg struggled and squeaked as he tried to escape.

"Snap the legs."

Crack. Snap. Crunch.

016 whimpered as he hit the ground with a soft thud.

"Give up yet?" 014 asked with a cruel smile. "Mercy is closer than you think- You have but to ask."

And as he had expected, they refused.

--------

The three of them raced down the darkened corridors at breakneck speed, weaving and dodging the scattered human guards and disabling the mechanical ones. 066 had a handheld GPS unit that helped to point them in the fairly right direction, even as twisting hallways and dead ends threw them off.

"I think this is it." They came to a stop before a generic looking door. "I'll open it, and Seth will go in ahead of us."

There was another key pad code to crack, but 072 and 066 tackled it easily and the door opened without hesitation. 064 tentively poked his head in.

"Oh, there you are!"

It was Dr. Shurii, gathering up a multitude of files and discs and shoving them haphazardly in a messenger bag. "Would you all be dears and help me finish picking up?"

"Shurii-sama, how did you know it was us?"

"External cameras." She pointed to a computer screen. "And I figured you probably wouldn't be involved in the fighting. Here, 072, you start downloading those scimatics, 064 I need those files over there, and 066 I have someone I want you to meet."

064 and 072 shrugged and went about their assigned tasks, while 066 gave Shurii and inquisitive look.

"Over here." He followed her to the back of the room where a few beds and a repair station had been lined up against the wall. Two of the beds where currently occupied, one by a normal looking unconscious boy and the other by an androgynous white haired figure.

"Is this the new android you've been working on?"

"Yes, he's done, actually." She was rapidly typing commands into a laptop hooked to the white haired androids neck. "All of the higher-ups still think I'm testing software and tweaking A.I., but he should run well enough to get us out of here."

There was a soft whirring sound a jolt, and then the androids pale gold eyes snapped open. He pushed himself up in one smooth motion then sat stock still. 066 waved his hand in front of its face, yet he got no reaction beyond its blank stare.

"Its appearance is lifelike, but that's where the illusion ends."

Shurii shrugged. "It's good enough for a prototype. I based him off of Cyberidia's design specifications."

"Wait, Cy's not here?"

"No. Why?"

"Damn." He swore. "We thought she would be here with you."

Shurii sighed as she started to unhook the android. "I wish she was too, but all I've seen of Cy is her blueprints."

The android slid off the bed at Shurii's nod and scooped up the unconscious boy, then stood awaiting further orders.

"All right guys, it's time to move out!"

"Okay, just let me finish wiping the memory-"

"Y-you!"

072 was cut off by a shout. In the doorway was Dr. Kalvin, open mouthed and staring in shock.

"You! I knew it!" he pointed angrily at the group of rebels. "You where never loyal, a-and I _never_ trusted you!"

"Shit!" 064 leapt at him, but Kalvin had already dashed off. "I'll go after him, you get out of here!"

"I'm coming with you!" 066 ran out after him, leaving Shurii and everyone else behind.

"Oh, well that was interesting." Shurii commented offhandedly.

--------

For once, Dr. Kalvin's paranoia paid off.

'_I knew it! I knew she was a traitor!'_

He looked frantically for a guard, an alarm, something to raise the red flag. Just then 049 happened to come around a corner.

"049!" he called out gleefully. "I have something important to tell you!"

She growled at him. "What do you want?"

"Shurii, she's been working with the rebels-"

"Really now?" a ferocious glint came to her eyes. "This makes everything much easier."

There where footsteps coming from down the hall, the echoes of movements getting closer and closer.

"T-they're coming!" Kalvin squeaked in fear and turned to flee. 049 grabbed his arm and held him fast.

"And where do you think you're going?"

"Y-you're going to f-fight them, aren't you?"

That evil gleam was still in her blue eyes was a grin spread over her face.

"Not until I finish my job here."

"What-"

049 kept one hand on Kalvin's arm and slammed her other hand in to his face.

"I've always wanted to do this to a human… Let's go for a ride, shall we?"

A click and a moment later Dr. Kalvin's flesh was literally ripped from the underlying skeletal structure by the force and speed of Acceleration. Tissues tore and organs ruptured in a bloody explosion. The whole action took less than half a second in real time.

049 came out of acceleration dripping in gore and smiling. She turned at the sound of a startled gasp to find that the other two cyborgs had caught up.

"Chico…?" on ventured hesitantly.

With a flick of a wrist she drove her favorite dagger in to his shoulder. The cyborg shrieked in pain, and it only seemed to brighten her mood.

"I don't see why he was so worried. You two don't seem so tough." The second cyborg ignored her and instead got about pulling the blade out of his comrade. He looked it over for a few moments before tossing it back to her.

"Ellinium coated. That'll punch a hole in just about anything."

"You've got a good eye." She noted, casually twirling the dagger around. "Has Ume come out yet? I was hoping we'd get to play."

--------------

Outside, things where looking grim indeed.

014 was toying with them, playing his sick game, dragging it out as long as he could.

She felt useless hiding up on a hill behind the trees. It wasn't like 003 could really do anything more to help with enemies that where clearly out of their league. The kids didn't even realize how powerful they were on their own- At the moment, she would put money on anyone one of them if they went toe to toe with a first generation model. But then they… They were moving too fast to be seen, and the clashing metallic ringing of multiple accelerators made individuals impossible to pinpoint.

In a way she was glad she wasn't a part of the fighting. She knew there was no way she could point a gun at them.

_(All the others are holding back too.) _001 could easily read her thoughts. _(They're afraid of hurting them, even when they can see that they are not the same people anymore.)_

"But they have to be in there somewhere." She protested aloud. "Can't you somehow reach out to them?"

_(I've already tried. It's like running in to a brick wall- I can't get in, and it looks like they can't get out.)_

"Mental blocks, personality suppression, and replacement consciousnesses are all Dr. Kalvin's specialties. 014 is particularly interested and knowledgeable in that field of work as well." 051 explained. "It's less time consuming and cheaper than creating a new cyborg. It also has a tendency to be unpredictable. Remodeling a unit is one thing, controlling it is a whole new challenge."

The frown on 051's face said that she had seen this happen all too often.

"So this has happened before?"

"This is about to happen now." 051 corrected. "There's no way around it at this point."

---------------

It always began the same way.

It started with a prickling and itching sensation tearing away at the edge of her subconscious. Hint, suggestions, and subtle pushes until an opportunity to seize control presented itself. After that, the suffocating darkness would drown her will. Most days she would resist.

Today she happily jumped in.

------------------

_**-It's my turn now.-**_

Laying amongst broken rocks and robots reduced to scrap metal, she opened her deep purple eyes. The crashing of weapons and the cries of battle had died down, but they hadn't ceased. Good.

She hadn't missed all the fun.

Rache was nearby, but Kalak was closer. She could sync with both of them, but not right now. Ignoring the fallen twin blades and ripping off the sheaths that formally held them, she drew the claymore strapped to her back. As she swung it around in her left hand she took visual stock of the situation.

_**-Show me what you can do!-**_

-----------------

The changed registered in the back of 055's mind and he backed off his attack on the first Gate Keeper. He knew the voice was coming before it spoke.

_**(-Hello, children.-)**_

It sent a shockwave through the ranks of younger cyborgs and left the older ones considerably confused.

_**(-Now if you'll all be dears and retreat, I'll take it from here.-)**_

055 watched as they all, perhaps some reluctantly, fell back. 014 seemed to be amused by this sudden change and called the Gate Keepers back.

"Oh? Have you decided to surrender?"

"Hardly."

Mitani came stalking out of the dust and rubble where she had fallen, swinging a large sword. Her entire attitude hand changed from the happy and excitable girl to this dark and demented creature.

"You must be getting rusty if you overlooked my arrival."

"Ahh, 099. What a pleasant surprise-"

She waved him off. "Cut the theatrics. I've come to take my children home."

"Is that the only reason you've come out?" 014's eyes narrowed dangerously. "018 is not known for letting you run free."

Her eyes were so dark they almost looked black.

"We made a bargain."

"What a coincidence. So did I." He snapped his fingers and a shower of ice spears hurtled at 099. She side stepped them only to parry a sword made of the same frozen water. 049 leered at her, her own eyes now a bright orange in place of the normal blue.

"C'mon Umeko, let's play!"

055 looked away from the fight, biting his lip. If the two of them where here, then it was only a matter of time…

-----------

"…Why are they stopping?"

"You wouldn't notice a change." 051 sighed. "Not at first, anyway. Keep watching."

003 did, and that's when things went to hell.

018 rose from where she had fallen, and swaggered out on to the field. Her presence, strangely enough, caused both sides to halt the conflict. At least she could now easily hear their conversation.

"You mean… 0018 has one of those control programs?"

"More like a whole other person. It's… complicated. No one really knows the whole story of how and why behind Umeko either. But even with her and Mitani's faulty memories, she knows more about the Genesis Series, or all of us, than anyone else. So we have to tolerate her. And…" 051 expression clouded again. "There is no way of removing 99 without killing 18. They are linked, bound and chained to one another. 041 and 055 are in similar situations.

As she spoke, a shower of ice spears rained down on the exposed 018. She dodged, but a moment later was trading blows someone 003 assumed to be 041 under 014's control. She couldn't help herself as her vision wandered to the two dark clad figures flanking 014.

For now, the fighting had stopped…

But the battle was just beginning.

---------------

To be continued….

----------

**Please read the authors notes before asking any questions! Thank you!**

_A/N:_ As I sit here in my room typing up this fanfiction I am currently surrounded by no less than _nine _Cyborg 009 action figures. If you happen to follow me on DeviantART, you've probably seen pictures of my babies. If you don't follow me on DA…. GET OVER THERE NAOS PLEASE. You won't be disappointed, as I'm posting Meine Kinder there and I have some pictures of the kids up!

ANYWHO ON TO IMPORTANT STUFF. I'm betting you're a little confused about what's going on. That's normal, as this is a long overdue projection of many massively fun and amazing fan roleplays. So all will be explained in due time!

Granted, many of the kid's backgrounds and how they all ended up together is pulled right from archived RP's, but I've changed a lot of things. As in all our naivety about things…. Like jumping on the double zero bandwagon and OC pairings THAT MADE NO SENSE. (i.e., major 18 X 55 shipping. I scare myself.) Don't judge us, where like what, 12? 13? Maybe even 14 if you where Jen?

Anyway, I know I sorta broke the whole continuation of the 00 project rule, but only slightly. You will notice that I've dropped one zero, and it's usually pronounced, "OH-eighteen", or whatever the number is. This stems from our logic of, "Wait, wouldn't it have been '010' and not '0010'? Oh, whatever you crazy Japanese people…" We started implementing that in RP's a little later our super epic story-ness. The numbers are a just combination of personal nostalgia and the fact that the kids idolize the first nine. I use their names half of the time anyway…

003 and the others will refer to them using double zeros because that's what she's used to. The kids are a project within themselves as the Genesis Series, and then a project within that as I think I'm going to go ahead and convert a few OC's to Gate Keeper status. (Plotting face)

Oh yes, a note on pairings-

Fran and Joe are the only ones who are probably going to hook up EVER. I will be dropping bomb shell hints at points, just to make you put on your slash and OC x Cannon goggles, but I really don't want anyone to hurt me. (Scared face) OC x OC pairings will abound, yet beyond that I don't think I'm safe writing anything in. If I do happen to do that, it'll be posted separately as a little AU ficllet. I'll also take requests if anyone wants to see something or challenge me to write for something!

Sorry for the massive long-ness, but I'm revising things and setting things straight and whatnot. If you've read this far, GIVE YOURSELF A HUG. And I'll give you a cookie. (throws cookies in crowd) If you want moar fandomy goodness, go to my profile and find my DevinatART page. Because I'm never not on there. XD

So long, good night, and thanks for three years of support!

-Carolyn


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